SSbD4ChEM brings together stakeholders from industry, government, academia, and civil society to develop and promote best practices for safe and sustainable product and process design, through demonstration in 3 case studies. SSbD4CheM aims to meet the EU's strategic objectives for digital, enabling, and emerging technologies, sectors, and value chains by developing a comprehensive Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework that uses new science-based approaches to identify and address potential hazards and risks, and innovative technologies to support the design of safer and more sustainable products and processes. SSbD4CheM objectives include: 1) SSbD framework to facilitate development of the next generation of chemicals and materials applicable to renewable composites in automotive value chain, PFAS-free coatings for textile and cellulose nanofibers as additive in cosmetics to replace plastic microbeads, 2) Development of efficient hazard screening tools for alternative assessment of next generation chemicals/materials/products combining in silico tools and multicriteria analysis, 3) Advanced explorative ex-ante LCA method supported by molecular and data-driven modelling to fill data gaps for (novel) materials and chemicals, 4) Integration of chemical/(nano-)material characterization methods to assess products environmental safety, quantify emissions to support occupational and consumer safety limits, 5) Development of alternative, in vitro models, as part of New Approach Methodologies for adequate exposure scenarios, 6) Harmonization and validation of analytical and toxicological methods for proposition to regulatory and standardization bodies to contribute to the development of new standards and facilitate market acceptance of SSbD4CheM project results, and 7) Enhance overall SSbD4CheM impact through stakeholder engagement, training, dissemination and exploitation and drive industrial innovation.

<< Objectives >>The project main goal is to prepare EU footwear sector to embrace the challenge of transition to sustainable, human-centric and resilient industry, transcending efficiency and productivity objectives, in line with the sectorial pact for skills (EU Pact for Skills), allying benefits for industry, workers and society. With the outcomes of the project, it is expected to ensure that workers will acquire the needed skills to support green and digital transition in footwear factories across Europe.<< Implementation >>The work programme roles out in 5 WP (including Management), including short training pilot actions outreach Events for a 36m implementation. During each WP implementation it is expected to create relevant results in a combined and comprehensive manner, which will be used within project duration but also after the project lifetime to support the upskill and reskill of workers and managers towards a smoother implementation of I5.0. All partners will be involved in all the WP implementation.<< Results >>The project proposes to develop a multilevel tailor-made upskilling and reskilling scheme and correspondent innovative contents and tools, to implement the presuppositions of Industry 5.0 towards a green and digital transition, making footwear factories a place where creative and talented people can come and work and live a human, multicultural and personalized experience. With this project we will contribute to reshape and bring new competencies to European managers and workers.

The upPE-T project aims upcycling recalcitrant oil-based plastics by bioconversion into biodegradable bioplastic for food and drink packaging production. Plastic packaging, which make up nearly 60% of the total plastic waste in Europe, is highly problematic from a waste management- and environmental- point of view due to their durability and resistance to degradation. Polyethylene (PE) and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are the leading plastic use in food and drink packaging (43% PE and 19% PET). The sustainable management of this plastic waste has become a very challenging problem for global society. In upPE-T we will include sustainable strategies as an alternative for plastic chemical degradation. The consortium will improve PE and PET depolymerization through enzymatic engineering to positively impact food and drink packaging recycling rate and achieving the European Union expected impact. In upPE-T we will turn PE and PET waste streams via enzymatic degradation and microbial assimilation into raw material for the production of biodegradable bioplastics. In addition, we will simplify the downstream bioplastic recovery process from cell biomass using an efficient and green extraction approach in which toxic solvents are not used. Finally, together with customers and food and drink brand owners, bio-based end-packaging will be demonstrated and validated to ensure fast market deployment. Additionally, in order to ensure 100% of PE and PET recyclability, plastic rejections not optimal for microbial bioconversion into bioplastics will be valorized by their use in building applications instead of be sent to incineration or landfilling. upPE-T will be an important part of the actions for compliance with the European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy.